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Reverse Sear Info for an Old Fart

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scruffy1
scruffy1 Posts: 20
in Beef
I have about a 2 kilo chunk of picanha love smoking this cut short smoke time as against say brisket always comes out fantastic. Now I'm old school have always believed in sear-roast or sear-braise or sear-smoke. Scruffy Jr. also an egg-header has been after me to try reverse sear. Fine, I tried it and the results were not that much different from my old ways. Maybe I'm doing it wrong. Picanha has that nice fat cover on the top so for a reverse sear it should go up or down on the grill or both? At what heat? How long? Appreciate your input
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  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 9,842
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    I don't know that many argue that reverse sear gives a better result than a forward sear - although I could be wrong.  I think most folks in the reverse sear camp prefer it because they find it easier/quicker to get an egg to raise temp than it is to get one to lower from 500+ to somewhere below 300 for roasting.  

    Personally, I prefer the forward sear just because I have overcooked some good cuts of meat by chasing the perfect sear at the end when the meat is already cooked.  I think the forward sear gives me a larger margin of error (timewise - not temperature-wise) and as a result I get more consistent results.

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

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  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
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    In my opinion you are probably not doing anything wrong. If your methods give you good results then don't change. Reverse sear isn't magical - it's just a means toward an end.
    As far as method, here's what I do:
    I season the meat and smoke it at around 250-275 until I reach an internal temperature of around 115. (This actually is determined by how thick the cut is. I'm aiming for a finished internal temp of about 130-135 degrees. A thick cut will absorb heat more slowly than a thin cut)
    So for a steak that is about 1 1/4" thick I aim for an IT of 115 degrees.
    Then I'll sear the steak and the final temp will be about 135 after resting.
    Good luck!
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,754
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    forward sear here as well, even with chicken. easier to work the perfect sear on beef, easier to crisp chicken skin first. beef sears better when you start with it dry
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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